Freshman Gators CB Makes Strong Practice Debut

According to his high school head coach, freshman Florida cornerback Dijon Johnson made multiple impact plays in his first practice with the Gators.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Two (pick) sixes for No. 26.

Freshman cornerback Dijon Johnson began his Florida football career in a productive fashion. 

According to his high school coach, Mike Williams Sr., Johnson intercepted and returned two passes for touchdowns in his debut practice with the Gators when the program opened its 2023 fall training camp on Monday.

First Camp practice… 2 pick 6’s!
You’re just getting started 2-6! @DijonJohnson13 #GetMore @GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/Q5YeAQn4PV

— BMW (@CoachLikeMike) July 31, 2023

Florida all but confirmed Johnson's highlight-worthy plays in a Monday Instagram post (in the final slide), where freshman safety Jordan Castell is seen holding up the No. 2 while standing with Johnson on the practice field. 

Details surrounding the pick-sixes, such as the quarterback who threw the passes and the practice setting (like 11 vs. 11, seven vs. seven, etc.) in which they were recorded, are unclear. Regardless, the interceptions are an early indication that Florida secured a legitimate talent for its secondary when it flipped Johnson's commitment from Ohio State in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

That being said, Johnson's ball-hawking abilities come as no surprise to those who studied his game as a high school prospect. Below is a snippet of Johnson's All Gators scouting report from Oct. 2022, which was published following his pledge to Florida.

Johnson is, through and through, a man-coverage cornerback prototype ... he's a determined jammer at the line of scrimmage who can remain hip-to-hip with receivers well into their routes after his cushion has been eaten up.

When the ball is in the air, in man or zone, Johnson does a good job of remaining in sync while tracking the pass-in. His reach makes it easy to tip passes as they approach the receiver, but Johnson is a sure-handed player by nature, so he'll often turn contested balls into turnovers ... Johnson is savvy in reading route concepts and can bait quarterbacks into a throw they'll regret, particularly showcased against Hi-Lo concepts such as Smash and Flood. This is a sign of high football IQ at defensive back and can in part be attributed to his experience playing wide receiver.

A product of Tampa (Fla.) Wharton, Johnson enrolled at Florida in May. 

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